live by love
by The Crownless Queen
Summary: James and Lily were trying to leave for their dinner date, they really were. For Butter.


Written for Hogwarts Auction Challenge: Dialogue - "I have one idea." / "It can't involve murder..." / "We're going to need another idea."

Also for Hogwarts' Religious Education Assignment, Task 5: Write about 4 people or more meeting somewhere, the Writing Club: Character Appreciation - (word) first, Disney Challenge: Hakuna Matata - Write about an inseparable pair, Ami's Audio Admirations: Old School - (word) traitor, Scavenger Hunt: Write about your OTP, Film Festival: (object) crib, (emotion) nervous, Cocktail Corner: Rum - (emotion) annoyance.

Also for Butter. I hope you like this.

 _Word count:_ 1106

 _ **live by love**_

Sirius eyed the scene before him. "Well, I have one idea," he said.

Remus sighed, his hand coming up to rub his temples. "It can't involve murder."

"We're going to need another idea."

Lily, who until then had stayed silent, rolled her eyes at them and shoved her way forward. "Merlin, you two are useless. Worse than James, even."

" _Hey_!" James interjected, placing a hand over his heart like Lily's words had dealt him a deadly wound. "I'm not that bad!"

Even to Sirius, that defense sounded weak.

"Yes, dear." Clearly, Lily wasn't too impressed either, because she also shot her husband a pitying look — although another glance Sirius' and Remus' way had it shift to consideration. "Actually, considering your _friend_ just tried to suggest _murder_ as an answer to changing Harry's diaper, you really aren't as bad as I thought."

Seeing James' face start to light up, she quickly added, her tone bitingly sarcastic, "And that is _not_ a compliment."

"It kinda sounded like a compliment," James whispered to Sirius, who nodded and whispered back, "I heard it as a compliment, Prongs."

Lily rolled her eyes at them again, but her lips twitched up into a grin, so James thought it was probably a win for them.

She huffed. "Whatever. Now, if I take care of this, will you two be okay to watch Harry for the night, or will James and I come back to find someone dead in our yard _again_?"

"That was _one time_!" Sirius complained loudly before Remus put a hand over his mouth to shush him.

"I love how you think that's in any way reassuring," he drawled, before turning back to Lily. He smiled wryly, which pulled at his scars a little, and said, "We'll be fine. You and James go enjoy your night out."

Lily bit her lip. Maybe they should stay in. It wasn't that she didn't love James' friends, but they could be… a bit much. She looked down at the crib, where Harry was gurgling up at them, waving his tiny arms and legs energetically. His face was scrunched up and red, in the way it got before he started to cry, but two spells later he was changed and happy once again.

"It'll be fine," James whispered in her ear. She almost startled — she hadn't seen him move. "This isn't the first time Sirius and Remus have watched him, and everyone's survived so far."

"Except for the man in our yard," Lily felt compelled to point out, though her lips twitched up a little.

"He was a Death Eater, I think that hardly counts," James replied, rolling his eyes.

("That's what I said!"

"Sirius, _shush_!")

Not actually willing to fight him on this, Lily conceded the point. With a sigh, she turned back toward Sirius and Remus, and sent them her best threatening glare, accompanied by her sweetest smile.

(The combination was terrifying. James was sure even Death Eaters would testify to it being so, if any of them were able to.)

"No dead bodies," she said. "And no sugar before bed, or he'll be unbearable."

"Do you mean Harry or Sirius?" Remus quipped.

"Both," Lily replied tiredly. "Definitely both. But Sirius is a grown man who can make his own mistakes."

Sirius shot them both betrayed looks, and he stepped around them to reach the crib, where he bent down and picked up Harry.

"At least my godson still loves me," he said with a haughty sniff.

Harry blinked up at him, and with a blinding grin, reached up and yanked down on a fistful of Sirius' long dark hair. Sirius stared back at him blankly. "Traitors. I'm surrounded by traitors."

Remus' eyes were still sparkling with mirth when he faced Lily again. "We'll be fine," he said, repeating James' earlier sentiment. "You two go on and have some kid-free fun tonight. We'll hold down the fort here."

"Are you —"

"Yes, I'm sure," Remus replied, laughing a little.

James grabbed Lily's hand, lacing their fingers together and giving it a comforting squeeze. "We'll be late for our reservations if we don't leave now."

Lily took one last look at the scene before her — Sirius babbling nonsense at her son, Harry cheerfully babbling back as he tried to grab more of his godfather's hair, and Remus watching them both fondly — and she sighed.

"Fine," she said. "We'll go. But no murder."

"No murder," Remus promised, his eyes twinkling. "I swear."

"Sirius?"

Sirius pouted. "Do I have to?"

" _Yes_ ," Lily, James and Remus echoed.

Sirius sighed. "Fine, fine. No murder." He looked down at Harry. "Everyone in this family is a killjoy."

"... And we'll ignore that for today," James said, tugging Lily away gently. "Good night, see you in three — no, better make that four — hours!"

And with that, James half-run out the door, practically dragging a laughing Lily behind him.

Remus stared at the last spot they had been in, unblinking.

Sirius stepped toward him, Harry now bouncing on his hip. "Think we'll see them before tomorrow morning?" he asked.

Remus snorted. "No way. We'll be lucky if they're even back for breakfast." He'd say lunch, but realistically Remus knew James would panic if he didn't see Harry before then, and then Lily would panic, and — well, it was better not to think about what'd happen after that. For the sake of what was left of his sanity.

Sirius grinned. "Ah, but are you willing to bet on it?" He wiggled his eyebrows, and Remus laughed.

"Sure. Why not. When I win —"

"If, _If_ you win —"

" _When_ I win, you'll be doing the dish for the next month. And you'll buy me chocolate."

Sirius snorted." Like I don't do that already. But fine. And _when_ —"

" _If_ —"

" _When_ I win, you'll have to go on a date with me."

"Fi — wait, what?" Remus´heart skipped a beat in his chest. "What did you just say?"

Sirius stood his ground, an image that was slightly ruining by the toddler on his hip that was now munching on his shirt. "You heard me," he said. "And I meant it."

Remus swallowed nervously. "Okay then," he said.

Sirius brightened. "Okay?"

"You heard me," Remus parroted back with a wry smile. "Now stop fishing for compliments and come help me prepare Harry's bottle, I get the feeling he's getting hungry."

Sirius glanced down at the boy and winced. "... Ah yes, let's go… do that."

Remus smiled as he watched him go — and drat, but now he wanted to lose that bet, didn't he?


End file.
